Articles by Grist staff

Low-calorie Desert

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said last weekend that drought and devastation were threatening the livelihoods of more than a billion people in 110 countries. On Sunday (World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, to those in the know), the U.N. Environment Programme blamed humans as the main cause of desertification. It cited agriculture, grazing, and […]

Getting Off Scotts Free?

Scotts Co., the U.S.’s biggest supplier of lawn and garden products, has damaged the environment and endangered public health near its plant in Marysville, Ohio, reports the Columbus Dispatch in a two-day series. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency documents show that dangerous levels of pesticides and herbicides, including DDT, have seeped from company landfills and waste […]

Trash Can-ada

Canada has become a trash can for North America’s hazardous waste, according to a report by the Texas Center for Policy Studies tracking such waste in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. It found that American companies were sending waste to Canada to avoid the cost of complying with the U.S.’s more rigorous environmental regulations. Mexico […]

What's Good for G.M. Is Terrible for the Country

General Motors says it will oppose any efforts to increase fuel-economy standards for cars, SUVs, and light trucks in the U.S. G.M. CEO Rick Wagoner said on Friday that Americans do not want fuel-efficient vehicles as long as gasoline doesn’t cost much at the pump, at least compared to prices abroad. Vice President Dick Cheney, […]